Camino – Day 32

I have had a near perfect day! This morning was so beautiful it left me laughing, singing, and crying. The landscape is amazing, with broad vistas down into a deep valley, with something new around every corner. And after a peaceful and easy 14km downhill walk (that took me from 1,330 meters down to 670 meters) I ended up at my absolute (nothing else even close) favorite albergue. If anything else takes the prize I will be very very surprised.

Albergue Ecologico El Beso at A Balsa. It is about two kilometers west of the village of Triacastela, in a peaceful forest setting. My friend Charlotte (who is somewhere up ahead of me on the Camino) sent me a couple of recommendations about a week ago. This is the second of those recommendations, and it wins the prize. It is rustic and homey and charming. And it is organic and vegan. The young couple who own and operate it are lovely. And every little detail communicates a sincere and hospitable welcome. If you are planning to walk the Camino de Santiago (frances), I cannot stress strongly enough my encouragement that you stay here. I have intentionally not been making reservations in advance, because I wanted the experience to be spontaneous and in the moment. This morning I modified that intention. When I got to Triacastela I phoned to see if a bed was available, because after here there isn’t anything for many kilometers. The woman who answered spoke English (I can muddle my way through in Spanish but it is so much easier in English) and told me they had one bed left. I asked her to please put my name on it. And so I am here. The perfect way to end a perfect day. A truly amazing gift.

Buen Camino!

Here is a link to today’s photos – https://photos.app.goo.gl/qx6niaJZ1qSyZ5UaA